Math 1010

Drug Filtering Lab

Name: Josselyn Ramos

The purpose of this lab is to come up with a continuous model for exponential decay.
Dot assumes that her kidneys can filter out 25% of a drug in her blood every 4 hours. She knows
that she will need to take a drug test for an interview in a couple of days. She plans on taking one
1000-milligram dose of the drug to help manage her pain.
1.) Fill in the table showing the amount of the drug in your blood as a function of time and
round each value to the nearest milligram. The first two data points are already
completed.

TIME SINCE
TAKING
THE DRUG (HR)
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
52
56
60
64
68

AMOUNT OF
DRUG
IN HER BLOOD
(MG)
1000
750
597
461
356
275
212
164
127
98
76
58
45
35
27
21
16
12

What might a model for this data look like? It will begin with a dramatic downward slope then change
into a horizontal line with a downword slope that you can hardly, see.

2.) Use a graphing utility to make a plot of the above data. Label axes appropriately.

3.) Based on your graph, what can you say about the data? For example, is there a
pattern? Is there constant slope? The slope decreases as the hours since taking the drug
increases.

4.) How many milligrams of the drug are in Dots blood after 2 days? After 2 days there is
45mg of the drug in Dots blood.

5.) How many milligrams of the drug are in Dots blood after 5 days? After 5 days ther is .43 mg of
the dug in dots blood.

6.) How many milligrams of the drug are in Dots blood 30 hours after she took the drug?
Explain your reasoning. Thirty hours after she tool the drug ther was 144 mg of the drug in
Dots blood. Using the formula y=a(1-b)^x, you solve 1000(1-.062)^30

7.) A blood test is able to detect the presence of this drug if there is at least 0.1 mg in a
persons blood. How many days will it take before the test will come back negative?
Explain your answer. It will take 6 days. In 144 hours (6 days) there would be .092 mg of the
drug in her blood. A blood test can only detect the drug is ther is at least .1mf of that drug in a
persons blood.

8.) Will the drug ever be completely removed from her system? Explain your reasoning.
What complications might arise from having excess amounts in her system? There will
always be an extremely tiny amount of the drug in her system. Matter cannot decay into
nothing. If she used again it would take linger to get the drug out.

9.) Since there is a constant rate of decay, a continuous exponential decay model can be
used to determine how much drug is in her system at any time.
Exponential Decay Model
A(t ) A0 e kt
Where A(t) is amount of drug in blood at time t in hours,
A0 is the initial amount of drug, and
k is the rate of decay (it will be a negative number)
You will have to find the actual value of k that works for this model. Write down the
exponential decay model for the amount of drug in Dots blood as a function of time:

Model: A (t)= 1000e^(-0.0719 X t)

Now use that model to fill in the following table:

TIME SINCE
TAKING
THE DRUG (HR)

AMOUNT OF
DRUG
IN HER BLOOD

0
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
52
56
60
64
68

(MG)
1000
750
563
422
317
237
178
134
100
75
56
42
32
24
18
13
10
8

10.)
Interpret the parameters of this exponential model in terms of the context of the
problem. This model allows you to accurately calculate the amout of time Dot would need
order to pass her math test.

11.)
Compare your values with the estimated values in the model. How close were they?
Why might they be different? My values were close to the values of this model but not
exact. I used a different formula to calculate my values.

12.)
Use a graphing utility to graph the original data along with a graph of the model
on the same set of axes.

13.)
Were you expecting a horizontal asymptote? What might that mean in the context
of the problem? When I saw how the amount of drug in her system was decreasing with the
time I figured that there would be horizontal asymptote. That probably ,earns that the drug will
be there in some tiny amount for a long time.

14.)
Using your model, how much drug is in her system 17 hours after taking the
drug? After 17 hours there is 334 mg of the drug in her system.

15.)
Using your model, how long will it take for exactly one-half of the drug to remain
in her system? 10 hours and 45 minutes.

16.)
Using this model, how long will it take for 0.1 mg of the drug to remain in her
system? That would take 96 hours or 4 days

17.)
Do you think the continuous decay model is more accurate for predicting the
amount of drug in her blood? Why? Or why not? I believe that the continuous decay
model is more accurate because there is a lot of science behind it to back it up. This model
has probably been used in a legitimate experiments.

18.)
What other factors should be considered in coming up with a more realistic
model? I am almost sure that the continuous decay model is more accurate because
there is a lot of science behind it to back it up. This model has probably been used in
legitimate experiments.

19.)
Reflective writing: Did this project change the way you think about how math can
be applied to the real world? Write one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why.
If this project did not change the way you think, write how this project gave further
evidence to support your existing opinion about applying math. Be specific.
Math is everywhere, in our lives, in schools, everywhere you go you will use it. Although, I do
have to rant of when will I EVER use this in my career?!?!?!? I want to go into Human Resource
Management, my moms best friend is an HR manager and she definitely does not use anything close
to this. She uses Athematic math, I strongly feel that I will NEVER use this in my daily life, yes it might
help me get into the next math class which I despise and have to take but other then that, that is all.
(Rant over) But here is my answer so you will give me a good grade........ (Action) Math is wonderful I
have always appreciated the use of mathematics. This project broadened my mind to the possibilities
and different ways to think and apply math. I struggle sometimes and I can't say that I love it but I
know the great importance of it and I know that these who understand it are better problem solver on
all different levels. My heart throbs for math......ahhh. :) <3....